The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-01-22

nominations WOrSh pDed IN the same
church, and felt that they We're near OF
KIN. Tn chill rem al attended the he
school, drank from the same cup, ana the
boys bathod, fl he'd and fought together IL
one common crowd.
But "a day was coming when that quiet
village would be a scene of wi dCst strife
a day when IL wouli flame in scarlet, and
at evening { st a red glow aga nst the sky
The TWO leading men of the village hid
lived ucighbors in the East, in tn same
town, before they came out TO improve the
great and untrled West. They wer, both
merchants, auG Il fricn lily rivalry had eX
listed between them in business for years
but outs de of that all was peace and har'
InOny. The papers from their form r home
brought them the news ofar d. front store
The idea was simu taneOuS-they would
have a red front. Next day the work was
begun and at night two red fronts graccd
the streets. The day of blood and carnage
was upon them.
They met Each asked the other, in
tones that BODIED i'll, to change the COlcr OF
h 5 stone front, each refused to do so. That
week the village paper praised in glowing
terms the stock of goods at the red-iront
store, and type and ink told over and again
of the many bargains offered. The respec-
TIVE proprietors of the red-front stores were
furious. One painted his dwelling fam
ing color to distinguish it from the other;
the other followed suit. Every column in
the little paper was filled with advertise
ments, and the editor bought suit OF
clothes, long needed, and ate three meals "A
day. The other merchants quick to take u
hint painted their business houses the
, same popular color. They wanted some Of
the benefits of the vast amount of advertis-
ing the rcd-front store was receiving.
Gradually the color spread until every
house and barn in that village looked IA
though it had been dyed in blood. The lit
t. church on tn hill came next Each OF
the oiglnators Of this strife had his fol-
lowers, AMI one side took possession Of the
sacred ed fee and forbade the other enter
ing it, Then they painted it red.
The next Sunday one Of the bloOdiest
battles ever witnessed in the village was
fought in that church, with closed doors,
and they painted it redder than ever After
that, fights were everyday oCcurr snces.
The first death was just a month from the
time hostilitics were declared The black
smith, man not much concerned In the
fvu II, was the unfortunate victim. In a
pitched battle, where men, women, chill
lrcn and even the dog took part, he met
his death, but it was never known who
killed him. Each side accused this other
1t was not known which sllo his sympa-
thies were with, 80 there the matter
iropped; but from that time forward they
warred in earnest. For two long years the
feud went on, and one after another the
villagers dropped off and filed uew-mado
graves. If peace crowned the day, war
spread wide its eyes by night, and the
cemetery grew apace.
Meanwhile the editor, who had k pit
,loof and wisely taken no part in the war,
was shot because Of his nom artisanshp p.
The two leaders were He'd, one early in
The fight, the other later on The town
went quickly to wreck, and to-day but one
house stands thsre--but it is painted a
laming red. The inhabitants either moved
away or were killed. One or the other was
Inevitable, and but little time was given
hem TO make their choice. In few years
the village Of Savannah sprang up near
This place, but the ashes Of old Kewanee
| lie undisturbed. The land is not even
cultivated. An old man, wrinkled and
! crippled, lives alone in the house that
| marks the site where formerly stood the
| ;illage Of red front stores AMI carnage
| RiCU,RD = liu,yFs